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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

"Nearly a century after the Progressive-era birth of the state's ballot-measure system, it is clear that voters' fickle commands, one proposition at a time, are a top contributor to paralysis in Sacramento. And that, in turn, has helped cripple the capacity of the governor and Legislature to provide effective leadership to a state of more than 38 million people."

That's what I've been saying. Whatever noble and brilliant intentions helped birth this most abused of progressive reforms . . . they dead now, yo. What's left? An afront to representative democracy and a republican government. The railroads are gone. Enemy: they name is voter.

Wait, no. It's not voters. Well it is. But moreover, it's people who sign petitions to get crap on the ballot that hasn't even been proofread, let alone vetted.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

For all of the complaints about letting the people decide issues by referenda, this is about the silliest. Many of these measures would have been defeated if our political leaders had spoken out against them and if we leave things to the backroom, they will still not be willing to oppose popular issues because they love their jobs.